Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Education, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for Social Inclusion. I refer the Deputy Prime Minister to the Eastern Fleurieu School in my electorate. Is the Deputy Prime Minister aware that local builders in Strathalbyn were denied the opportunity to tender for the classrooms to be built at the Strathalbyn campus of the Eastern Fleurieu School and that instead the work has gone to Baulderstone, the Australian subsidiary of multinational construction giant Bilfinger Berger? Deputy Prime Minister, how is this supporting local jobs?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. It may enable me—

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and I think I am assisted by my colleagues in this regard—to explain something about the way the Australian economy works. Although a firm may ultimately have an overseas owner, when they work in this country they actually employ people in this country to do the work. Just try to stay with me on that economic concept that a company that may have an ultimate overseas owner, when it does work in this country, employs Australians to do jobs.

Do you know why construction is a great way of providing economic stimulus? It is because it is necessarily providing work here in this country in an industry hit by the global recession. I refer the member—and he may not be familiar with it—to the recent statistics and index released by the Australian Industry Group that showed that employment in construction had gone down 17 months in a row.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Local builders in Strathalbyn were denied the opportunity to tender.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Apart from explaining that a company can have an ultimate foreign owner and actually employ Australians, one of the other things about the construction industry that people may not appreciate—or at the least the member asking me the question may not appreciate; I suspect everybody on this side of the House does, and I reckon the Independents are right onto this as well—is that in the construction industry it is common to engage a head contractor who then contracts down the chain to subcontractors—

Government Members:

Oh, really?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Really. Yes, imagine that—a head contractor who contracts down the chain to subcontractors who then perform the work. Having met with a number of people who are actually engaged in constructing Building the Education Revolution projects, I know that is precisely what is happening.

Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The question was about local builders who were denied the opportunity to do this work.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Cowper will resume his seat.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Julie Bishop interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why doesn’t the Deputy Leader of the Opposition just sit there quietly.

Martin Ferguson (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Resources and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Martin Ferguson interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Tourism is really stretching it.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Abbott interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Warringah will be staying here as long as everybody else, but he will do so relatively quietly. The question, I remind those who have got to their feet, went on to ask how this is encouraging local jobs.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So the subcontracting happens down the chain; I have met people who are engaged in that process. With the Building the Education Revolution program there is a working-through of local employment plans and there is also a requirement that 10 per cent of hours be allocated to supporting apprentices and trainees and people who are learning whilst they are doing the job so that they too can be supported during these difficult days of the global recession.

I say in conclusion to the member that what has been concerning me is: what is the opposition theme? What is bringing together their comments, their statements, their attacks and their questions in question time today? I really want to thank the member who asked this question because I think I can finally see it. We have a G20 left-wing conspiracy! Angela Merkel is in on it! German companies are somehow building things in Australia, not employing any Australian workers, and as part of this global Leftist conspiracy somehow, with no Australian employment, buildings are getting built by German companies with Angela Merkel right in the centre of it—and we have got the shadow Treasurer from Deutsche Bank! I cannot wait for the next episode!